This invention relates in general to covers for vertically elongate articles and deals more particularly with an improved protective cover assembly for a garden or patio umbrella of foldable type.
The present invention is particularly concerned with the type of umbrella used to shade a patio table and which is usually supported by the table. The upper end of such an umbrella may be eight feet or more above ground level, which poses a problem in positioning a protective cover on the umbrella in its folded or collapsed condition to protect the umbrella when not in use.
Heretofore, various types of rain and storage covers have been provided for use with umbrellas of the aforesaid type. One such cover shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,469 to Dubinsky is concerned with the aforedescribed positioning problem. The umbrella cover shown in the Dubinsky patent comprises a tapered sleeve made from flexible sheet material and diverging downwardly from a peak to an open lower end. The cover has a slit along one side which extends upwardly from the lower end and terminates some distance below the peak. A rigid rod received within a pocket formed in the cover extends along one side of the slit and is used to elevate the flexible cover and place it in an umbrella receiving position wherein the upper end of the slit is above the upper end of the umbrella and the cover is in vertical alignment with the umbrella so that the cover may then be drawn down over the umbrella. As taught by Dubinsky the operation is generally reversed to remove the cover from the umbrella.
Although the structure disclosed in the aforedescribed patent solves the problem of positioning a cover on and removing it from a tall umbrella a further problem remains in storing the cover when it is not in use. The rigid rod required to elevate the cover must be three to four feet in length. Consequently, when the cover is in its assembled condition with the rod in it the cover cannot be folded to a convenient size for storage. A convenient nearby location may not be available for storing the cover in its assembled condition with the rod in it. Removal of the rod from the cover is troublesome and requires that the rod be stored separately from the cover and reinstalled in the cover the next time the cover is used.
Accordingly, it is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved unitary flexible water repellent cover assembly of durable lightweight construction for covering a tall folded umbrella or other vertically elongate article and which may be manufactured at low cost. It is a further aim of the invention to provide an improved cover assembly which includes an integral means for stiffening the flexible cover to enable positioning of the cover on a vertically elongate article while enabling the cover to be readily folded into a compact package for storage when not in use.